Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, many causes have spurred a renewal of interest concerning the reign of Reza Shah, unmatched perhaps since his fall. Firstly, one must mention the increasing interest and curiosity about the modern history of Iran, manifested in this country and abroad. Secondly, the opening of government and some private archives has provided new perspectives on the era. Thirdly, one can point to a kind of nostalgia for the period, as reflected by the many popular histories and biographies of debatable value published in recent years.

Several archival repositories, such as the National Archives (sāzmān-e asnād-e mellī), the Institute for Cultural Studies and Research (mo'assaseh-ye moṭāle'āt va pazhūheshhā-ye farhangī), and the foreign ministry, began publishing documents rather than opening their archives and making their documents available for research.