US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsheth issued a command on Friday, demanding that accredited journalists have been officially accompanied by much of the Pentagon building, in another restrictive measure for the press from the Trump government.

The measures, which come into force immediately, prohibit accredited journalists to access most of the Ministry of Defense, located in Arlington, Virginia, unless they have official approval and escort.

“The ministry remains committed to transparency, but it is also obliged to protect the classified and sensitive information, the unauthorized revelation of which could endanger military life,” Hegsheth said in a memorandum.

The minister described the protection of classified information and operational security “a steadfast check for the ministry”.

The Pentagon Press Union, which represents the interests of journalists covering issues related to the US Army, said the new rules seem to be “Immediate attack on the freedom of the press”.

“The decision is supposed to be based on worries about business security. But accredited journalists had access to unsafe places in the Pentagon for decades, under Republican and Democratic governments, including the attacks of September 11, 2001, with no concern about national security by the ministry leadership. “Rothesis.

In response to a request for a comment, Pentagon’s spokesman Sean Parnel said: “These updated measures are an indispensable step to protecting sensitive information and to protect the members of the US services from dangers that can be avoided.”

After President Donald Trump returned to power in January, the Pentagon has launched an investigation into leaks that have resulted in his three executives being put on administrative leave.

It also demanded from large media organizations, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the CNN and the NBC News, to abandon their offices In the Pentagon that occupied the media friendly to the government, such as the New York Post, Breitbart, Daily Caller and One America News Network.

The Trump government also intends to use lies to investigate leaks, and some ministry security officials are in danger of being fired because they have refused to undergo the test, according to Reuters. The White House says Trump will not tolerate the media leaks and that federal employees who do them will have to be held accountable.