Iraq isn't the most useful comparison because it wasn't feasible for the US to fully control access; determined journalists could find ways into the warzone. They still tried to encourage embedded journalists, who they could protect and also censor, so that they weren't tweeting photos showing artillery locations or what not.

There are journalists operating in Ukraine, but they're either

- embedded/escorted (IDF did a bit of that also)

- in safe ("green") areas far away from fighting (Gaza is too small to really have those; Ukraine is ~1650x larger)

- or just ignoring the laws, and illegally reporting from dangerous yellow or red zones