“That we are not implementing the same sanctions against Saudia that we have in place against Iran”
As Churchill said, “Nations do not have friends. Nations have common interests.” The interests of the UK and the financial and humanitarian interests of the US vastly exceed its interests in how Saudi Arabia treats its own citizens. The financial and military interests of the US in controlling an even worse evil, Iran, would be greatly at risk if our ability to use SA airspace and navigation rights were impeded.
Think of it like World War II. Suddenly, the US was “best friends” with murderous “Uncle” Joe Stalin. Times of need make for strange bedfellows. The Soviets killed eight of every eleven German soldiers who died during the war. Should the US and the UK have not allied with the Soviets because Stalin was a homicidal maniac? If we take the moral high ground, yes. What would the cost of that moral stance have been to American and British soldiers?
The reality is, Saudi Arabia pumps eleven million barrels of oil per day and has somewhere between 16-18 percent of the world’s known reserves. If the US and the UK enforced sanctions, what would that do to the world economy, and how many innocent people would starve to death as a result? There is a bigger picture to consider. For each additional dollar a barrel of oil costs, how many people in marginally surviving countries would starve to death? And, what would those sanctions cause in Saudi Arabia? The US and the UK cooperate with the Saudi regimen because it’s likely that whatever takes its place will be more horrible than we can easily imagine.
The Middle East is not a case of good versus Evil. It is a case of one evil versus a worse evil. You pick your poison and hope you’ll survive.
There is also this:
"If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."
- Winston Churchill
Iran is the lesser evil. A pox on both houses, but tying ourselves to the bigger devil (Saudia) has hurt the US and the west as a whole
If the USA stopped supporting Saudia in any and all ways and let Iran attack it, the next day you would see the Sunni powers of Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan all jointly attack Iran
If the USA and UK enforced sanctions on Saudi, oil prices would rise, but this would barely affect the marginally surviving countries -- they aren't as dependent on oil as the west.