TEHRAN — Iran's military chief on Saturday backed a landmark nuclear deal with world powers despite having concerns over it, the official IRNA news agency reported, a major endorsement that could allow conservatives to back an accord hard-liners oppose. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces and a close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke of 16 advantages of the deal in comments published by the news agency. While acknowledging concerns the military has, Firouzabadi wrote that both a recent United Nations vote on deal and the accord itself “have advantages that critics have ignored.” Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has not publicly approved or disapproved the deal. However, he repeatedly has offered words of support for his country's nuclear negotiators. — AP