����ý

US Senator Tommy Tuberville has dropped his controversial 10-month hold on military promotions, a blockade that infuriated his fellow Republicans.

After ending his protest over the Pentagon's abortion access policy, the Senate on Tuesday afternoon voted to promote 425 military officers.

He released the hold after months of pressure from fellow Republicans, who said he had damaged national security.

But he insisted he would maintain the hold for the most senior promotions.

For nearly a year, Mr Tuberville stalled military promotions to protest against a Pentagon policy created after the overturning last year of Roe v Wade, which had for decades granted US women abortion rights.

The Pentagon policy allowed service members time off and travel reimbursement for seeking abortions and fertility treatment. It reimburses members who had to travel to a state where abortion is not restricted.

During the 10-month campaign, approval of over half of the military's general and admiral positions was held up. At one point the Pentagon was forced to appoint acting heads of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

Mr Tuberville originally said he would only drop his hold if the Pentagon changed its policy, but there had been increasing pressure from both sides of the aisle to confirm officers. Typically, military confirmations are confirmed through unanimous consent to expedite the process.

"I'm not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer," Mr Tuberville told reporters on Tuesday. "We just released them - about 440 of them. Everybody but 10 or 11 four-stars."

His fellow Republicans had become increasingly irate with Mr Tuberville's actions in recent weeks. But on Tuesday he defended his campaign.

"It's been a long fight," Mr Tuberville said on Tuesday. "We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military, fighting back against executive overreach."

Defence officials had also urged Mr Tuberville to drop his hold on senior military promotions.

"In the end, this was all pointless," President Joe Biden said in a statement welcoming the promotion of scores of officers.

He said Mr Tuberville and Republicans had "needlessly hurt" hundreds of American troops, adding: "I hope no-one forgets what he did."

White House spokesman John Kirby welcomed the move, but added that four-star generals and admirals must be urgently confirmed.

"They're responsible for some very, very strategic issues around the world," he said.

Mr Tuberville's fellow conservatives also breathed a sigh of relief. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said he was "glad this has come to the end".

"I agree with his concerns about the Pentagon policy of using taxpayer dollars to fund travel for abortions, but I think the blanket hold approach is really punishing people who had nothing to do with that," he told CNN.

In November, his fellow Republicans took to the Senate floor in a five-hour confrontation over the hold, saying they agreed with his objection to the Pentagon policy, but said Mr Tuberville's actions would not resolve it.