Washington DC - A US federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a Pentagon rule requiring journalists to be escorted by staff while moving through the Department of Defense, handing the New York Times a preliminary victory in its legal challenge.

The injunction will remain in place until a final ruling is issued.

The judge cited the importance of a free press and an informed public, saying that principle must not be abandoned in the year marking the 250th anniversary of the US.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell criticized the ruling, saying the department's rules were necessary to prevent sensitive information from falling into the hands of US adversaries.

The dispute stems from new Pentagon guidelines introduced last year that required journalists to obtain approval before publishing any information about the department, with accreditation at risk for non-compliance. 

Reporters who refused to sign a 21-page set of rules were required to surrender their press credentials and vacate their offices, prompting most major US media organizations to reject the policy.

The New York Times successfully challenged those rules in court, after which the Pentagon introduced revised restrictions, including the now-suspended escort requirement.