Evening Brief: Patel Testifies, US Observes Russia – Belarus War Games, Trump Keeps TikTok in US

Evening Brief: Patel Testifies, US Observes Russia – Belarus War Games, Trump Keeps TikTok in US

From Capitol Hill’s grilling of FBI Director Kash Patel over Charlie Kirk’s assassination, to U.S. officers quietly observing Russia-Belarus war games, and Donald Trump’s reversal on TikTok, the week showed Washington balancing political firestorms, military brinkmanship, and digital-age dealmaking all at once. Here is your Tuesday evening SOFREP News Brief for September 16th, 2025.

TikTok Becomes Citizen Journalists’ Hub in Iran

TikTok Becomes Citizen Journalists’ Hub in Iran

Images of the protests that followed the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Zhina Amini on Sept. 16, 2022, in Iran and reports of the government’s brutal crackdown have circulated widely on social media.