The Pentagon has barred press photographers from its briefings on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran after they published photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed "unflattering". This decision was prompted by concerns about the impact on a free press if government officials create or create favorable images of public officials. The National Press Club called this decision deeply troubling and counter counter counter to principles of transparency. This is not the first time the Pentagon has had a dispute with the media, with last year it demanded journalists sign a document saying they would not solicit any information the government did not authorize, leading to the loss of their press credentials.