With Trump's presence in the White House, we are witnessing significant changes in the international and regional arenas that are impacting communications and interactions between governments.

One of the clear manifestations of this change is the increasing rise of telephone calls between heads of state, a tool that provides faster access to the perspectives of counterparts. This phenomenon is, in fact, a reflection of the direct influence of the growth and speed of digital age technologies on diplomatic processes. As evidence for this claim, in the first three months of Trump's presidency in the White House, dozens of telephone calls at the level of European, American, Asian, and other regional leaders have taken place on important international issues.

In such circumstances and given these developments, the necessity for our country's role-playing through President Pezeshkian in this arena can significantly contribute to the success of foreign policy in various dimensions.

Hereafter, examples of mobile phone diplomacy will be presented.

A: The Ukraine Crisis

In the age of geopolitical transformations and technological advancements, a new diplomacy based on telephone calls between leaders is taking shape. This diplomacy is more direct, faster, and more spontaneous than in the past.

Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, where his focus has been on ending the war in Ukraine, we have witnessed an unprecedented surge in these calls from Washington to various capitals, including Paris, London, Kyiv, and even Moscow. Examples of this phenomenon include Emmanuel Macron's almost daily conversations with his Ukrainian and American counterparts, as well as frequent calls with Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister.

Of course, direct calls between leaders are not entirely new and were likely frequent before, especially during the peak of crises. However, it seems that at this juncture, personality traits, particularly Donald Trump's inclination towards direct, unmediated calls (dating back to his first term in office from 2017-2021), have accelerated this trend.

In general, we are witnessing an increase in the speed of communications and, consequently, a change in the nature of diplomatic relations. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that Donald Trump's two recent telephone calls with Vladimir Putin in February and March 2025, which, according to some Europeans, brought the Russian president out of his isolation in the West, apparently followed a more traditional diplomatic process.

B: Economic Agreement or Tariff War Across the Atlantic

Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, and Donald Trump, the U.S. President, discussed a bilateral economic agreement by phone last Sunday. In part of these discussions, the Prime Minister and President Trump reviewed the progress made. In fact, the UK is consulting with the United States on an economic prosperity agreement based on the shared strength of the parties' commitment to economic security. Currently, the important question concerns the extent and method of imposing tariffs by the UK on American tech giants, effectively a tariff war. Also, among neighbors, Donald Trump, after his first telephone call with the new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, on Friday, toned down his rhetoric regarding his neighbor and there was no mention of Canada as the 51st state of the U.S. The Canadian Prime Minister, for his part, stated that the White House leader today respects Canadian sovereignty.

Trump has promised to impose various tariffs on U.S. trade partners, including Canada, on April 2nd. Following the phone call, he said: "I think things are going to go very well between Canada and the U.S., and we had a very constructive call and we agree on many things." However, after Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported cars and parts earlier this week, Carney suggested last Thursday that his country should re-evaluate its reciprocal economic ties with its neighbor, as it is clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner. At the same time, he assessed the latest phone call with Trump as positive, cordial, and constructive, adding: "We made progress today, but this is the beginning of negotiations, and as Trump stated, it was agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations on a new economic and security relationship after Canada's April 28th election."

C: Old Friends, Erdoğan and Putin

These two leaders have similar presidential tenures in two important countries on the Eurasian axis and have managed bilateral relations well despite widespread challenges and obstacles. While Turkey is a member of NATO, economic relations with Russia have increased from $16 billion to $60 billion after the Ukraine conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a telephone call to resolve regional crises together. On the one hand, the Turkish President stated in a release that cooperation between Turkey and Russia is of high importance for resolving regional crises. Erdoğan also reiterated that Turkey is ready to host peace talks and welcomes goodwill gestures to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea, which would contribute to the peace process. His country, for its part, is making every possible effort to prevent the Black Sea from becoming a zone of conflict. The Turkish President considered cooperation between Turkey and Russia important for ensuring lasting peace in Syria following the establishment of a new allied power in Damascus. Erdoğan and Putin also emphasized the need to ensure the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria. The two presidents specifically exchanged views on the Russia-U.S. dialogue aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and the resumption of the agreement on the Black Sea.

D: New Friends in Moscow and Abu Dhabi

Relations between Russia and the UAE have seen an extraordinary upward trend, particularly since the Ukraine conflict. It is said that over one hundred billion dollars have moved from Russia to the UAE, and this country has become the top tourism destination for Russians instead of the European continent. The Kremlin announced on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, during which they discussed cooperation within OPEC+ and the Russia-U.S. talks on Ukraine. Without providing further details, the Kremlin added that the two presidents gave a positive assessment of the level of Russia-UAE cooperation and supported close coordination within the OPEC+ group, as the two countries are very important for OPEC+ agreements and play a vital role in ensuring market stability. Also, in this call, the UAE President expressed support for the Russia-U.S. dialogue on the Ukraine conflict and welcomed the consultations held in Riyadh on Monday between expert groups from the two countries. At the same time, President Putin thanked the UAE President for his mediation in prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine (the latest of which occurred on March 19, where each side handed over 175 prisoners).

Ali Beman Eqbali Zarch, Head of the Eurasian Studies Group

 (The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the IPIS)