Prior to the 2009 election that brought him to power, Netanyahu campaigned on the Iranian danger, and his government made the issue its cardinal concern. Together with his defense minister, Ehud Barak, Netanyahu succeeded in persuading Obama and the rest of the world that Israel was preparing a military attack as a last resort, should the US and its allies fail to stop the Iranian program in time.
2009年让他登上总理宝座的选举之前，内塔尼亚胡竞选的时候提出了伊朗的危险性，其政府还将这个问题当作主要的忧虑。内塔尼亚胡和其国防部长埃胡德•巴拉克一道已经成功地让奥巴马以及世界其他国家相信，如果美国及其盟友不及时阻止伊朗的核进程，以色列最终将采取军事行动。