The Pentagon has barred photographers from Pete Hegseth’s two most recent briefings on the Iran conflict without offering an explanation, while still allowing television and video coverage. Many mainstream outlets withdrew their permanent desks from the Pentagon after new media rules were introduced, and a newly constituted press corps largely replaced them. The New York Times has sued to overturn Hegseth’s restrictions and reported preliminary findings suggesting a U.S. Tomahawk missile, possibly guided by outdated targeting data, struck a girls’ school in Iran, killing about 175 people. The Defense Department’s investigation is ongoing and the White House says it will accept its conclusions.
Pentagon Bars Photographers From Hegseth’s Iran Briefings Amid Media-Access Fight
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Pentagon has stopped allowing photographers to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s two most recent briefings about the Iran conflict, reversing a long-standing credentialing practice and offering no public explanation for the change.
A Pentagon spokesman, Joel Valdez, declined to comment for this report.
The Defense Department under Hegseth has had a strained relationship with the reporters assigned to cover him. Many mainstream news organizations withdrew their permanent desks from the Pentagon rather than accept new Trump administration rules that limit where journalists may go and who they can interview.
Those outlets have largely been replaced at the Pentagon by a newly constituted press corps that agreed to the administration’s terms and is, in many cases, affiliated with outlets broadly supportive of President Donald Trump. The Pentagon has been issuing temporary passes that allow reporters who vacated their permanent desks to attend Hegseth’s briefings on the Iran war.
Although Hegseth seldom calls on legacy reporters during question periods, he did recognize one of them — Eric Schmitt of The New York Times — during Tuesday’s session.
The New York Times has filed suit seeking to overturn Hegseth’s media restrictions; a hearing in that case took place last week before U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reflected in a window, gestures during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
"As The Times has long said, there is a clear importance and public service to allowing journalists to report fully on the U.S. military," said Charles Stadtlander, a spokesman for the newspaper. "This includes photojournalists, who deserve access and credentialing to attend Pentagon briefings."
The Associated Press had no immediate comment when informed that its photographers were being barred. Hegseth continues to permit television and video cameras to record his briefings.
The Times’ reporting on the conflict has also drawn criticism from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. On Tuesday she said the administration would not be "harassed" by The Times over its reporting about the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran, an attack that reportedly killed about 175 people, including many schoolchildren.
"We’re not going to be harassed by The New York Times, who’ve been putting out a lot of articles on this making claims that have just not been verified by the Department of War, to quickly wrap up this investigation because The New York Times is calling on us to do so," Leavitt said.
The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources, that preliminary conclusions by the administration point to U.S. responsibility for the bombing. According to the report, the military believes outdated targeting information was used when setting the Tomahawk missile’s target for the strike.
Those findings are described as preliminary and based on sources who spoke on condition of anonymity; the Defense Department investigation is ongoing.
Background: The dispute over who may attend and photograph Pentagon briefings is the latest flashpoint in a broader conflict over press access and new credentialing rules implemented under the Trump administration. Reporters and organizations contesting the rules argue they curb the ability of the public to receive independent coverage of the military.
Byline: David Bauder reports on the intersection of media and entertainment for the Associated Press. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
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