The Pentagon blocked some press photographers from attending briefings on the ongoing war with Iran after staff members of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth found published images of him “unflattering”, The Washington Post reported.
The ban was instituted after a March 2 briefing, marking Hegseth’s first appearance in the briefing room since June 2025. Photographers from several outlets, including Reuters, Getty and The Associated Press, attended the briefing with Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Dan Caine.
After photos from the briefing were published, some of Hegseth’s staff members were reportedly miffed at how Hegseth looked in the pics. It remained unclear whether Hegseth’s aides were bugged by a single photo or several, but some photographers were shut out of subsequent briefings on March 4 and 10. Only Defense Department staff photographers have been permitted into briefings since then.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement to the Post that the DoD was attempting to “use space in the Pentagon Briefing Room effectively” by allowing “one representative per news outlet if uncredentialed, excluding pool.”
“Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use,” Wilson added. “If that hurts the business model for certain news outlets, then they should consider applying for a Pentagon press credential.”
The Defense Department’s relationship with the media became notably more contentious under Hegseth, according to The Associated Press. Many mainstream news organisations left their desks at the Pentagon because they refused to accept new rules enacted by the Trump administration that restrict journalists’ movements and the people they can talk to.
