White House press secretary: U.S. 'looks forward to participating' in Pyeongchang

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the U.S. ''looks forward to participating'' in the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

She tweeted that update minutes after saying at a briefing that no official decision had been made.

Her tweet reads: ''The U.S. looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea. The protection of Americans is our top priority and we are engaged with the South Koreans and other partner nations to secure the venues.''

Heightened tensions on the Korea peninsula have raised safety questions about U.S. participation. Sanders had earlier said ''no official decision has been made,'' but that the American goal was to attend.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley cast doubt on U.S. participation in an interview with Fox News Channel on Wednesday, given the tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

She told Fox News Channel that U.S. participation is ''an open question.''