The US Department of War on Friday fired the publisher, editor-in-chief, and a Middle East correspondent of Stars and Stripes, a government-funded news publication that reports on the US military, the New York Times reported, citing sources.The Department of Defense seal is seen on the podium in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon. (AP Photo)The firings come amid US' prolonged war with Iran in the Middle East that has been going on since February 28. Notably, the three people at Stars and Stripes were terminated nearly 10 days after its journalists reported on hardships that Navy sailors were facing on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment was extended to nine months.Also read: Bangladesh exploring ‘Islamic NATO’: Why joining Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi Arabia's Mecca pact may make sense to DhakaThe purge marks the latest effort by the Defence Department to curb the government-funded military newspaper's statutory editorial independence amid the simmering war with Iran.Editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and Middle East correspondent Lara Korte were all served termination notices on Friday, according to the NYT, adding that the Department of War declined to comment on the firings.Slavin said insubordination following a July CBS News interview regarding editorial interference was cited a reason for his termination in the notice. Slavin had publicly asserted that turning the outlet into a public relations mouthpiece would cross a line, standing by the requirement for independent reporting.“According to the notice, I am being fired for stating in a CBS interview that censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line,” Slavin said, according to NYT report. “I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department’s own policies.”Also read: US court overturns Trump’s immigrant visa freeze affecting 75 countries, calling policy ‘patently unlawful’Korte also took part in the CBS interview, where her report on the uncertainties faced by military families in the Middle East following the evacuation of US bases after Iranian attacks was discussed.Stars and Stripes not the first publication facing heat from PentagonThe firings build on months of escalating restrictions. In January, the Pentagon rescinded long-standing regulations guaranteeing free news flow, with chief spokesman Sean Parnell demanding the paper shift away from "woke distractions," the New York Times reportedBy March, a Pentagon memo banned AP wire reprints and comics, mandating content align with "good order and discipline," the New York Times reportedIn April, internal editorial ombudsman Jacqueline Smith was fired after criticising agency interference, a move that has since sparked a First Amendment lawsuit against the department.