Washington: The Pentagon has informed journalists that they must agree not to disclose unauthorised information or risk losing access to the building. This new regulation is part of several restrictions being implemented, including limitations on journalists' movements within the facility, which houses the Department of War, previously known as the Department of Defense.

According to BBC, these changes come in response to a series of leaks in recent months. The Pentagon emphasized that any Department of War information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorising official, even if the information is unclassified. Journalists are required to acknowledge that their press credentials could be affected by unauthorised access or disclosure of classified or controlled unclassified information.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell stated, "The guidelines in the memo provided to credentialed resident media at the Pentagon reaffirms the standards that are already in line with every other military base in the country. These are basic, common-sense guidelines to protect sensitive information as well as the protection of national security and the safety of all who work at the Pentagon."

The issue of handling sensitive information is not new for the Pentagon. Hegseth faced scrutiny previously for sharing details about the bombing of Yemen in a group chat that included a reporter. This incident was inadvertently facilitated by former national security advisor Michael Waltz, now the US ambassador to the UN.

The administration expressed anger in June when a leaked intelligence report appeared to contradict its statements regarding the damage caused by US strikes on Iran's nuclear program.