A federal lawsuit seeks to block Pentagon efforts to reshape Stars and Stripes, arguing recent policy changes threaten the editorial independence of the military newspaper that has served troops for generations.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday comes after Defense Department leaders in January announced plans to “modernize” Stars and Stripes and refocus the publication on “reporting for our warfighters,” while moving away from what Pentagon officials called “woke distractions.”

The announcement immediately raised questions about whether the department intended to narrow the scope of coverage at a news organization that has long operated with congressionally-backed editorial independence.

Since then, Pentagon directives have restricted certain content, limited the use of paid wire services, eliminated comics and other syndicated features, and required Stars and Stripes content to be consistent with “good order and discipline.” Stars and Stripes leaders previously told Military.com they had “deep concern” about the future of independent journalism at the publication.

The dispute intensified in April when the Pentagon removed Stars and Stripes Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith, whose position was created by Congress in 1991 to monitor threats to the free flow of news to service members and report concerns to lawmakers. Democratic senators later introduced legislation aimed at protecting the publication’s editorial independence.

The U.S. military on Monday disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that U.S. Central Command said “violated the ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port.”

The Palau-flagged M/T Marivex, which was reportedly traveling without cargo, was transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman when its crew failed to respond to directions from U.S. forces in the region.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln responded by firing a precision munition into the Marivex‘s engineering and steering spaces.

“Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran,” a release from U.S. Central Command stated.

To date, U.S. forces carrying out the naval blockade — launched April 13 — in waters around Iran have disabled seven non-compliant ships, according to the command release.

Well over 100 vessels have complied and been redirected, while 42 ships transiting the area with humanitarian aid have been permitted to pass.