Tehran - Funeral ceremonies for Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei officially began on Saturday, state television reported, an event drawing thousands and intended to serve as a show of strength to the Islamic Republic’s foes.Iranian authorities say they anticipate between 15 million and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days for tributes to the man who ran the country for 3½ decades.Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic as its No. 1 from 1989 until his killing aged 86 on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on Feb. 28.